Iridescent and Love
by Derp Whale
Summary: Asuka and Rika are long lost twins. What happens when they meet, and what adventures are in store for them in the Sohma household? Read to find out! Rated T for Kyo's, Asuka's, and Rika's language :3
1. Dinner

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Asuka wandered the streets, her snow-white, thick, messy hair blowing in the night wind. Her sharp, iridescent eyes taking in her surroundings. People usually stayed away from her because of her appearance, and she was fine with that. She was used to people ignoring her. Suddenly her sensitive ears heard something; a girl's scream.

As quick and quiet like a cat, she ran towards the shadows, making her way to the scream. Turning into an ally, she saw a brown hared girl surrounded by three men, one of them was gripping her wrist. Without thinking, Asuka lunged forward, getting low and sweeping the guy off his feet with her foot. Flipping up, she punched the other guy in the face. The third, now realizing what was happening, tried to punch her in the face, but she kicked his fist away with one leg then used the other half of the twirl to kick his head, making it bow. Finishing the 360, she upper-cutted the man, causing him to fly backwards. Hearing the man behind her start standing up, she flew around and slammed her fist into the man's face, causing him to black out. The original man who was holding the girl threw a punch at Asuka, and she dodged it easily. It when on like that for a bit; the man throwing punches and Asuka dodging them. Finally, Asuka ducked and went in between his legs. Appearing on the other side, she straightened up and boxed his ears, causing him to fall to the ground. In the end, one man was wiped out and the other two made a run for it.

Asuka turned around and started to check the girl to see if she was alright. As quietly as she came, Asuka started to back-up, preparing to leave.

"Wait! Th-thank you." The girl said, and Asuka turned around to see the girl standing up. "I'm Tohru. Tohru Honda." She said, then she caught sight of Asuka's eyes. Tohru's widened in surprise, and Asuka waited for the typical response she got for them. "Your...Your eyes are beautiful." Now Asuka's eyes widened in surprise. Nobody has every said that to her before. _Ever_. "Mind if I know your name?" The sweet girl asked, and before she could stop herself, Asuka answered.

"Asuka. Just...Asuka." Tohru smiled, and Asuka just looked at the girl. She hadn't smiled in a few years, and a sweet girl wasn't going to stop that streak.

"Would you like to come over for dinner as a thank you?" Tohru asked, and Asuka, though some-what reluctantly, shook her head. Then her stomach growled. She hadn't eaten properly in about four days. Tohru laughed. "Come on." She started to walk away and Asuka, baffled, started to follow her.

* * *

_Asuka's PoV_

"Yuki, Shigure, I'm home!" Tohru said as she opened the front door to one of the largest houses I've seen. The only other one I knew of...I shook my head, dismissing the thought. I didn't want to think about that right now.

"Oh, hello Tohru! Might I ask was wonderful, delicious dish you are making for us for dinner tonight?" A man's voice echoed from a room in a sing-song way. Tohru stepped into the house, motioning for me to follow her. She slipped off her shoes, and I notice her mouth open, looking at my feet, but then it closed. I knew she was going to ask me to take off my shoes. Problem was, I didn't have any.

"Ms. Honda, welcome. Who's your...friend?" A boy with silver hair and purplish eyes asked me. You would think I would be embarrassed, having no shoes and wearing a dirty,, white dress that went to my knees with a dirty, white cloak (yes, cloak)

"Hi Yuki! Asuka, this is Yuki Sohma. Yuki, this is Asuka. I invited her to dinner because she helped save me from some thugs." Tohru stated nonchalantly, as if it happened everyday, making me sweat-drop.

"Oh! Are you alright? They didn't hurt you, did they?" Yuki asked, obviously worried about the girl.

"Yes, I'm fine. Asuka got to them before they could do anything." Tohru smiled down at me (I was at least five inches shorter than her, making me 4'9. I probably weighed at least fifteen pounds less than her...not just because of my eating habits.) Yuki then looked me right in the eyes, and silently gasped at the sight. I flinched inwards, waiting for the names: devil, monster, anything of the sort.

It's not like she could help it. She was born with here eyes this way. But she couldn't blame anyone else either. Looking in a mirror, Asuka would sometimes scare herself, too. Yuki recovered himself. "Thank you, for protecting Ms. Honda." He bowed to me, and my mouth went agape in shock. What was wrong with these people? I blushed at the sudden sign of respect and bowed my head, looking at my dirty feet.

At that moment my stomach decided to growl. And loudly. Then Tohru started to freak out.

"Oh my God! What time is it? I should get dinner started! Oh no, I forgot to buy groceries. I guess I could use some of the stuff in out fridge, but that wouldn't be as good-" I put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's fine." I nodded my head, and she instantly calmed down. Good thing too, because I got annoyed really easily.

"Right." She got the most determined look on her face I have ever seen on someone. "I'll get started right now!" She ran off into a room connected to a dining table.

"So you are...Ms. Asuka?" Yuki asked me. I looked at him and nodded my head. "Would you like to sit down?" He motioned to a small cushion around the table, sitting down himself. I followed, cautious of my surroundings. I was careful to plan out quick escapes if needed. "Would you like to take off your cloak?"

"No!" I answered suddenly and loudly, feeling uncomfortable with that question. There was a reason I wore it, and it would be pointless if I took it off. I guessed Yuki could tell I was uncomfortable with the subject so he quickly changed it.

"So, do you live near-by, Ms. Asuka?" I nodded my head. Technically, I wasn't lying. The streets were my home nowadays.

"Where is tha-"

"Dinners done!" Tohru sang as she walked into the room. I could sense it, and before it even happened, I was on my feet. Tohru tripped over her own foot and before the food or herself could fall, I caught Tohru with one hand and the food with the other.

"Oh my goodness! I'm so clumsy. Are you alright, Asuka! I didn't hurt you did I?" I shook my head, setting the plate with beef (yum!) on the table and stabilizing Tohru.

"You must be more careful, Ms. Honda!" Yuki said, slightly getting up from the table.

"Sorry, Yuki! And you were so fast, Asuka!" She commented, and I blushed slightly as I sat back down.

"Is everyone alright? I hope no one broke my house~" A man with short black hair walked into the room. His eyes meet mine, and he instantly smiled. "My my, what do we have here? ANOTHER pretty high school girl has come to my house?" He asked, and Yuki hit him on the side of the head.

"Her name is Ms. Asuka. I'm sorry, this is my perverted cousin, Shigure."

What WAS wrong with these people? They were saying nothing derogatory about me or my eyes.

"Anyway, let's eat!" Shigure stopped the scolding he was getting from Yuki and sat down at the table next to where Yuki was sitting. Tohru sat next to me, and we all filled our plates. I finished mine before Tohru could even take a second bite. I was so hungry! Filling my plate up again, I was about to take another bite when a hand stopped me.

My instincts kicked in, and I actually growled at Yuki. I stopped myself when I saw his and everybody else's eyes widen in shock, but he quickly recovered. Removing his hand, I set down my chop-sticks.

"Aren't you a hungry one?" Shigure commented, taking a sip of green tea. Yuki had a thoughtful look on his face.

"Ms. Asuka, when was the last time you had a proper meal?" This question caught me off guard, and my eyes widened in shock. I stayed silent, messing with my hands that were in my lap. "Ms. Asuka-" Something about his voice made me answer. Not that I wanted to, but that I had to.

"Four days." I said quietly, but yet everyone heard it.

"Oh, no! That's terrible! Please, have as much as you want!" Tohru exclaimed, filling my plate up even more. Yuki's hand stopped hers before she could add to much.

"No, that wouldn't be good. You have to eat, but eating to much at once isn't good for you. I think a plate is enough." I gave him a glare, but he seemed immune to my icy daggers. "Have some tea to help your hunger." Reluctantly, I listened to him. Surprisingly, even a little sip helped. Ignoring the burning from the hot tea, I chugged it. Shigure chuckled.

"Ms. Asuka, you said you lived near-by. Where exactly?" I was getting annoyed at how curious he was about my personal life.

"Why do you care?" I almost spat at him.

"Because if I am going to walk you home, it would be most helpful if I knew where you lived." He replied calmly, and I gave him an angry stare.

"I don't need to be walked home." I said slowly, enunciating every word carefully.

"What host would I be if I didn't walk a lady home after a long night?" He asked me, and I finally gave up.

"Well, you wouldn't have to walk far, just drop me off on the street!" I yelled, blushing and looking down at my hands, which hand made their way back into my lap. It was silent for a bit, and I wasn't waiting to hear their reactions. Shigure was the one who spoke first:

"So, you live on the street?" He asked quietly, and I nodded my head. "Well, that just wont do! Yuki, do you think we have room for one more?" My head snapped up suddenly. Wait, was he saying I could move in? I violently shook my head. It seemed as though they both didn't care what I thought, though.

"I believe she can share a room with Ms. Honda. Is that alright with you?" Yuki asked Tohru, still completely ignoring me.

"Oh, yes! That's fine! Oh, we'll have so much fun!" She hugged me, and I sweat-dropped. There was no way I was getting out of this. "Oh! We could play dress up with my clothes!" She stated.

"Uh, Ms. Honda, I think she's a little small for your clothes." Yuki stated, and I sweat-dropped. I preferred looser clothes compared to tight clothes, anyway.

* * *

We finished cleaning up after dinner (Tohru and I), and she showed me to her room. All that was there was a small mat that I guessed Tohru slept on and a little dresser, which held her clothes. She walked over to it and pulled out multiple outfits, asking if I liked any.

Finally, she pulled out a dress that was as long as the one I had on now, except it had a white base color with multi-sized stars in pastel stars. Maybe it was a little childish, but it fit my needs.

"Great! I'll help you start the bath and then you can change into this!" I shuddered at the term 'bath'. I hated getting wet. But, I guess it was necessary. Tohru led me to the bathroom and started the water. She told me to get undressed and into a towel. After I did, she took my dirty clothes and put the dress into there.

Slowly and tortuously, I lowed myself into the water, hissing every step of the way. I could smell something from the water, and realized it was lilac. The natural relaxant was working on me, and I slowly loosed my muscles.

Maybe staying here for a few days wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

**So? How was it? Leave your opinion in a review! (: I will love you for it and the next story wont be up until I get at least two :P**

**Ohmigosh, I'm so excited for this story x) Pleasepleaseplease leave a review! :D It can contain anything from criticism to praise.  
**

**Bye everyone! Derp Wale, signing off! *salute*  
**


	2. The Curse and Understanding

Soo, I noticed that I had a few views, and I'm happy (Thank you so much!), but, I only got one review -_-...Something simple like "good job" or "you could do better" will suffice, just please, prove to me I'm not writing to a brick wall (: It would mean a LOT to me.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

* * *

_Tohru's PoV_

Walked into the room, looking like an angel. Her snow-white hair was cascading down her back, thick and naturally tangled near her ears. The dress I let her have was partially hugging her body, making her look like a model. Her lips were almost a baby pink and full. I wasn't even going to start on her eyes. They looked amazing. I've never seen them before, because every time I saw them they were a different color. I wonder how they got like that. Is that even possible?

"Asuka?" I asked her, straightening out the blanket of the one bed. She looked me in the eyes and I was a little starstruck like every other time I looked at them. "Do you want the bed?" She shook her head and made her way to the window, staring out with a longing look in her eye. "It's okay, I can sleep on the-"

"No." She silenced me, rubbing her temples with her fragile fingers.

"Ah, okay..." An awkward silence filled the room. Suddenly Asuka walked over to the window and opened it. A cold wind filled the room, and Asuka put her foot on the ledge, like she was going to go out...

"Wait! Where are you going? You'll get a...cold..." She was already gone.

* * *

I didn't hear Asuka come in last night, but she was in the room when i woke up.

_tap tap tap..._

"Come in!" I said to the door, seeing that both Asuka and I looked decent.

* * *

_Asuka's PoV_

Yuki walked into the room. "Sorry, I just wanted to let you know that we'll be buying more furniture for this room soon." He paused and went over to the window, cracking it open. "Sorry it's so stuffy in here. You should keep this window open more often." I silently agreed with him. I hated the smell fo dust.

My ear twitched when I head something above us. The roof creaked, sending showers of dust on us.

What do ya' know? I started sneezing like crazy.

"Ms. Asuka, are you al-" Suddenly the ceiling broke, and now that there was more dust, I swear i was sneezing out my guts. When the smoke cleared, something almost blew my mind away.

A hot guy was standing there, bright-orange hair, perfect body, slightly tanned, but I could only see the back of him, and my sneezing was causing me to shut my eyes every few seconds.

"Time to pay the piper, rat-boy. I'm here to collect." He said, in probably the most heavenly voice imaginable. He rolled his shoulder, as if stretching it out. Yuki got a smirk on his face and rested his elbows on the window sill.

"Funny. I would have though they'd send somebody bigger." Yuki egged him on. These two knew each other? The orange guy growled in anger.

"That's right. You better get your tough-talk out of the way while you can 'cause I'm about to wipe that stupid little smirk right of your face!" And then he lunged.

It seemed as though everything was happening in slow motion. Tohru reached forward to stop the guy, but I got in front of her, sensing that she would slip. I was a little of balance because of my sneezing, so instead of catching her I was going to soften her fall. I fell backwards, landing on top of the guy. We hit the floor in a pile, and my natural insticts kicked in so I wouldn't get hurt. I rolled off of the guy, it being a little difficult with Tohru on top of me, and rolled to the side of the pile, now coughing because I inhaled some dust.

I looked up to see orange smoke filling the air, Tohru somewhere in it, and Yuki looking as pale as a ghost.

"Yuki~ What were all those loud noises I heard? Kyo's not here...is he?" Shigure asked, appearing in the hallway. I turned towards him, about to ask who Kyo was, when Tohru screamed.

"I'm so sorry! Are you alright? I-" The room went silent when instead of the orange guy in front of Tohru, it was an orange cat.

What?

"AH! I turned him into a cat! I'm so sorry-" She exclaimed shaking the cat like it was a bell.

"Tohru, uh, excuse me!" Shigure sang, a stressed look on his face. I haven't said one word, still shocked about that cat thing.

"We need to get him to a doctor! Or would it be a vet-" A piece of wood fell onto her head.

Again, I leaped forward, stopping Tohru from hitting the ground. But to do that, I had to land on Shigure and Yuki. I let out a little breath of air, loosing it. I winced as I got mushed between the three bodies.

"I'm so sorry, Asuka!" She said, trying to help me up. In the end, she ended up falling right next to me, and more clouds of dust appeared.

It went silent again as the clouds disappeared and all that was there was a black dog and a little white rat.

Tohru looked like she was about to feint, while I was busy holding back my urge to pounce of the rat.

I took slow, deep breathes. It would not be good if I went into that mode. Not good at all. The dog looked at me, and the hair on the back of my neck instantly stood up. (I got that anime face where my cheeks are really chubby and my eyes were squinted...know what I'm talking about?) He almost gave me a pleading look, like to stay the sane one out of me and Tohru. I tilted my head to the side in confusion. How could a dog DO that?

Tohru suddenly scooped all of the animals and started running down the stairs.

"Wait, Tohru!" I yelled chasing after her. I heard a mailman outside the house stop. This sin't going to be good.

"Oh! Mr. Postman! Look at them, they're animals!" I sweat-dropped, stopping right before the door.

"Oh, yes! They certainly are! Here you go!" He reached inside his bag and pulled out an envelope. I stepped around the corner and took it, making sure to keep my eyes closed.

"Thank you." I murmured, shutting the door. I didn't keep my eyes closed long enough because right before I shut the door, I saw his eyes widen in shock and fear. Tohru sunk to the floor, and I set the mail on the table.

"Damn it! How am I supposed to come up with an excuse if both of your turned as well!" Wait, I knew that voice. My eyes widened in shock when I saw it was the cat talking.

A cat talking?

Well, I'm not one to talk about that.

"Don't you dare blame this on us, you stupid cat!" The rat argued back, and my mouth watered again.

"Go ahead! Say that again!"

"Stu-pid. Cat."

"Why you little-"

"Cut it out, both of you!" The dog interjected. Tohru went as white as a ghost. "Anyway, it's to late for excuses. Tohru, Asuka, I'm a dog. Yuki? He's a rat. And that's Kyo. Don't let his temper scare you, he's got a BIT of a chip on his shoulder." Shigure summed up. The the orange-haired guy is Kyo?

"So this is...normal?" Tohru asked, a questioning look on her face. I let out a dry laugh at that comment.

"Strange choice of words, but you could say that. Our family has lived with this curse for generations. We transform into the twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac." Kyo sent a glare Shigure's way. "Sorry, sorry. The twelve animals...plus the cat."

I froze. So it was true. The legends, the myths, everything. I _was _right! Tears welled up in my eyes, but I pushed them back. Now was not the time.

"Whenever our bodies come under a great deal of stress, or we're hugged by a member of the opposite sex, we transform. After a while, we change back. The thing is-" _poof_ "We're naked."

Tohru let out a little scream and I just spun in a circle, facing the wall.

* * *

"Well, we must seem pretty strange to you, huh?" Shigure asked us. Tohru, Shigure, Yuki and I were sitting around the dining room table while Kyo was on the porch.

I gave another dry laugh. "You have no idea." I said quietly, looking at nothing. Then I saw Shigure give me a weird look and I quickly shut my mouth.

"Well, it's not your fault your family's cursed." Shigure leaned forward, using a hand to cover his mouth, even though he was speaking the same volume.

"Tell me, didn't you say you wish you could be a cat?" My ears twitched and my head snapped to Tohru.

"What?" Tohru smiled at me and Shigure.

"Uh, yeah!" Then she nodded.

"Well, what's it right seeing the real thing?" Tohru's face filled with joy. "Yes, it's hard to believe, I know." Kyo's body twitched in anger. "I agree the phrase 'cat-like reflexes' doesn't really apply to him," _twitch_ "the way he let you two fall on him like that. But he is a cat, maybe more clumsier than most." _twitch_ "Surprising, really considering the amount of martial arts training he's had." _twitch _"I'd bet he'd tell you the same thing himself if he wasn't to busy sulking like a child-" Kyo shot up from where he was sitting.

"Ugh! Will you shut up? I told you it's not my fault! It you wanna blame somebody, blame them! THEY shouldn't even be here." He pointed to both of us, and I hung my head.

He was right. I SHOULDN'T be here. Why was I here, anyway? Because Shigure didn't want me living on the streets? I've been living there for almost half my life, I think I could handle it for a few more years.

"Leave her out of this. Who we let into our house is none of your business. YOU'RE the one who shouldn't be here." Yuki said calmly, fixing his hair. That really struck a nerve in Kyo, and to be honest, it struck a nerve in me too.

I sensed it. Suddenly Kyo's hand came down onto the table, and like the Flash I was in front of Tohru. The table broke and hit me right in the forehead, causing me to let out a little hiss of pain. I saw the guilt and surprise on Kyo's face once it made contact.

"Oh, Asuka, you're bleeding." I gingerly touched my forehead, but then I sensed it again.

"No!" I yelled, and the room went silent. I had stopped Yuki's hand an inch away from Kyo's. I knew Yuki was about to slap him. Tohru gently pulled me back to help patch up my forehead.

"I knew Kyo was reckless with his temper, but to act like this..." Shigure commented, handing Tohru a band-aid.

"You're just as stupid as ever and I'm going to prove it to you by giving you want you want. Only this time," Yuki loosened his tie a bit, "I wont hold back."

"Okay, sissy-boy!" Kyo yelled, attempting to kick Yuki in the face.

"No, Yuki!" Tohru yelled, moving her hand and bumping against the scratch, making me hiss in pain again. "Sorry." She murmured to me.

"Don't worry about Yuki, this goes much further than just today. Those two do nothing BUT fight whenever they see each other.

"Shouldn't we stop them?" She asked. I knew it was pointless to try. I was in the situation once.

"No, it's okay. It'll all be over in a minute." I glanced at the fight, and saw that Yuki found and opening, kicking Kyo in the face, making him fly into the yard, break a few doors along the way. Kyo settled in the lawn next to the koi pond.

"I told you I wouldn't hold back. You should have listened." Yuki said in a nonchalant way that actually achieved in pissing me off. Tohru's face turned pale.

"He...he sent him flying."

"Yuki, try not to destroy the house, okay?~" Shigure said sweetly.

"I really didn't mean to put him in the yard. He should learn to keep his guard up." Every single word was making my hand clench tighter and tighter.

"Ms. Asuka, you're hurt." He said calmly to me, walking up to examine my forehead. I leaned back, about to swat his hand away.

"I'm fine." I said, my normal, icy tone back.

"Is Kyo going to be alright?" Tohru asked.

"He'll be fine. The only thing I probably bruised is his ego." Yuki said again, now turning his attention to Tohru. Every. Single. Word.

"So, Tohru, I'm sure your dreams of being a cat at this point are shattered?"

"Well, I don't know-" Kyo stood up from the yard and ran towards the trees.

"I understand..." I said quietly. I saw Kyo miss a step, but he quickly regained his posture and entered the tree line.

_I do understand...Kyo...I do._

* * *

**Please, pretty please do a review! I'm going to say I want three reviews before I am going to do the next one, but I don't knwo :/...Anyway! I hope you liked this chapter (: You got a little AsukaxKyo going on now, so I hope you're happy :3. **

**Derp Wale, signing off! *salute***


	3. School

Really, guys? At least FIFTY-SOMETHING people have read my story and only TWO of you have reviewed -_-. I don't care if it is anonymous! Just please ): Click the little button at the bottom, save a life (insert picture of sad looking puppy). Thank you so much **storygirl99210** and **she****. who. thirsts. for. blood **(sorry i had to type your name like that ^.^) for being the first two people to review (: I love you guys with all my heart. And thank you **HLK21 **for adding my story to your favorite and alert lists (:

* * *

**Chapter 3  
**

* * *

_Kyo's PoV _

How could she say that? No one understands. NO ONE. How could they possibly know what I go through. I kicked a rock and it pelted a tree, causing a little dent. I took a deep breath to calm down, like sensei taught me.

I walked back to the house, but froze when I saw that girl on the porch. She looked almost...angelic. Her sparkling, white hair was blowing in the wind. Her pink lips were pursed as she watched a ever-changing colored butterfly flit out of reach. The most weird thing, was that her eyes were just like the butterfly. It left me starstruck.

I shook my head. It didn't matter what she looked like. She was just like everyone else. What was her name, anyway? Asuki? Asuka? Whatever.

Then the girl looked at him. She blushed and looked at the ground, shuffling her bare feet into the ground below her. Then I noticed the band-aid on her forehead, and remembered what I did.

* * *

_Asuka's PoV _

I saw Kyo walking up to the house, and for some reason I blushed, embarrassed. Why was I acting like this?

"Hey." I looked up to see Kyo in front of me, but he was looking to the side, avoiding my eyes. Somehow, that made my heart ache a bit. I know it was probably because he was embarrassed too, but still. "I don't handle my temper well..." He tightened his fist. "When I get angry, I just...I don't know!" If there was something to punch, I bet he would have punched it then. "Maybe I don't have enough training. It's just, I can't STAND losing to the damn Yuki!" I knew someone like that. I was in the exact same position he was in. I doubt he would believe me if I told him, though. Not that that I would tell him.

"So about this morning, it wasn't..." His fist started to shake. "What I mean is," He turned to face me, "I'm so-"

"Asuka~ mind if I see you for a bit? I'm sure Kyo has better things to do then apologizing for something he shouldn't have done in the first place!" Kyo's mouth was agape. I knew he was trying to apologize to me.

"Oh, forget it!" He yelled, starting to walk back out into the forest.

"Wait!" I grabbed his arm. "It's okay, Kyo. Our anger get's the best of all of us sometimes. Trust me, I know." I said to him, although quietly. I'm not sure if he trusted me or not, but I let go of him and made my way into Shigure's office.

"Asuka, mind taking a seat?" He asked me, and I sat down gingerly. "So, I started to notice things about what happened this morning." I tilted my head, questioningly. "Mind telling me how we didn't transform when you landed on us?" My eyes widened. I looked at the hands in my lap.

"N-no..." I stuttered. I didn't want to tell them. I don't care if they were the legendary Zodiac family. Shigure sighed.

"Your last name is Noroi, isn't it?" I froze, taking in a breath.

"How...how did you know?" I asked quietly, still shocked. Shigure laughed.

"Let's just call it a dog's intuition, shall we? Now, you don't have to tell me right now, but I would like to know sometime. You can trust me. I've heard stories about Noroi, and I wouldn't want you to go back there if you didn't have to." I felt the tears welling up.

"What do you know!" I broke, yelling. "You don't know the crap I had to go through. You don't know anything!" I was turning hysterical. Slamming the door open, I went to the forest. The one place I could be myself.

* * *

I slowly put myself back together, and by the time I was back at the house, it was already twilight. Instead of going through the front door, I quietly made my way around the house, hoping through the window after climbing a bit. I made my way to the little window that held the ladder to the roof.

I settled down, hugging my knees, and looking up at the moon-lit sky. It was so peaceful up here, until I heard someone else come up the ladder. I was instantly at the ladder. He was surprised to see me so he was falling backwards, but I caught him before anything bad could happen.

"Be careful." I murmured before returning back to my spot on the middle of the roof.

"Whatever! If you weren't up here, I wouldn't have fallen!" He almost yelled. I looked towards his then back up at the sky. I wanted to find out more about him, see how similar we really are. But that would require me to open up, and I wasn't about to do that.

Kyo made it on the roof and sat a little ways away from me. Fireflies started to come out and I batted out at one of them before I could stop myself. I knew Kyo was watching it happen and I blushed, looking at my knees.

"Why did you come to Shigure's, anyway?" Kyo asked me after a few minutes of silence. I looked at him, seeing whether he was making a polite conversation or actually wanted to know. I could see the curiosity in his eyes, so I decided to answer.

"I...saved Tohru from some thugs in an alley. She wanted to give me dinner as a thanks. Shigure and Yuki beat it out of me that I was living on the streets, and they basically forced me to live here." I said quietly. The fireflies cast a glow on both of out faces, and I could see Kyo thinking.

"Thugs! How many were there!" He asked, surprised.

"Three."

"How!"

"I'll show you some other time." I said calmly. He still looked baffled for a few minutes.

"Why were you on the streets?" He asked me, finally looking into my eyes.

"Because I'm just like you." I answered immediately, not even thinking it through. I blushed and started to draw circles on the roof. Suddenly, I felt it pull at me.

I started for the ladder. "Wait, where are you going?" Kyo asked me.

"I...I just gotta go." I said, every word stressed. I had to hold it back until I got into the woods. Once I broke the tree line, I let it through, turning me inside out.

* * *

I came back into the room me and Tohru shared before she woke up, thankfully. Though not after two minutes of sitting next to the wall, I heard her stirring.

"Good morning, Asuka." I nodded to her. She did her usual morning routine of getting ready. "Do you want another dress? This one doesn't fit me." She held up a pink dress that went to the knees and had a bow on one of the spaghetti straps. I took it and went to the bathroom to change. On the way there, I ran into Yuki, who was only wearing a towel.

"Sorry." I quickly murmured. I could see the look of confusion on his face on why he didn't transform. I made my way tot he bathroom and locked the door. I sighed in a stressed way. They were going to find out sooner or later. I was betting for the later.

I changed into the dress and I actually really liked it. I went downstairs to see Tohru and Yuki standing in front oh a garbage dump. Or was it a kitchen? I gagged and made my way to the front door. The smell was too much for my sensitive nose.

"Asuka, can I talk to you again? I promise it wont be as bad as last time." Shigure offered me as I sat on the porch. "We can even talk here." He sat down next to me. "I was going to offer you a chance to go to high school with the others. I'm going to trick Kyo into joining, but I feel as though I can't trick you into something like this." I looked at him, and he looked really sincere, like he really cared. "We can get you contacts if you want, and they have different skirt lengths." He added.

I thought for a bit. what's the harm? I could wear a long skirt and get normal colored eyes. This might actually work. I nodded my head, and Shigure actually squealed.

"Yay! We're leaving soon so get ready!" He danced into the hallway and to the garbage dump. I slipped on the pair of white flats Tohru said I could have. Either I had really big feet or she had really small feet, because they fit.

And just like that, we were off.

* * *

Kyo slammed the one of the sliding doors into the house open, storming in. "Stop! Kyo, just listen to me!" These two were arguing the whole way back. I was rubbing my temples and walked in behind those two, slipping off my shoes. I was wearing the school uniform with the knee length skirt and with blue contacts in my eyes.

"I don't wanna hear it! You think it's fun jerking me around like that!" Kyo yelled. I silently sat down at the table where Tohru and Yuki were eating lunch.

"Now hold it! It wasn't...Okay it was a little bit fun but that's not why I did it! It was for your own good. And don't forget it was Akito's decision.

"Shut up! I don't give a damn about Akito!"

_Shut up, Ryu! I don't care what Shido says!_

The memory flashed into my head, causing a little bit of pain. I grabbed my head, hissing a bit.

"Are you okay, Asuka?" Yuki asked me. I just nodded my head.

"Oh, um, I made lunch. Are you hungry?" Tohru asked, and I shook my head. That was the worst timing to ask someone that.

"Shut up!" He yelled at her, and I sighed.

"Kyo! Don't take this out of Tohru! And use the front door next time! And take of your shoes."

"You're one to talk." Me and Yuki both pointed out as Shigure was struggling on one foot.

"This is the first time I've seen you in a suit. It looks good on you." Tohru commented to Shigure, and before he could say anything I stood in front of Tohru, giving him the evil eye. A dark aura surrounded me and my hair was floating like I had my own atmosphere.

"Say something. I _dare _you." I growled to him. He instantly backed up.

"Oh! Look, lunch is ready." He distracted the attention away from himself and took off his jacket. I went and sat at the table again.

'Yes, but what about Kyo?" Tohru asked, worried.

"He'll be fine. He just needs to let off some steam. He's angry that I made him take an entrance exam. I'm glad Asuka here was able to calm him down a least a bit." He motioned to me as I filled my plate up with food, ready to eat everything. I still was getting over the fact of not eating well for a while.

"It wasn't that hard. He just needs someone to be on his side once in a while." I said quietly, taking my first bite of the cooked salmon. My eyes started to sparkle and I savored the taste. "This is delicious Tohru!" I exclaimed, proceeding to wolf down the rest of my plate. Shigure hadn't even served himself. I was still listening to Yuki about how much i should eat and I drank the whole glass of green tea next to my seat.

"Thank you. And what's the entrance exam for."

"You can't tell by Asuka's uniform? As of today, Kyo and Asuka are officially going to be the newest students at your school. He's also going to be living with us from now on." Yuki got a glint in his eye.

"Don't you take a single bite. Get out." He said menacingly to Shigure, and he laughed nervously.

"Heh, oh, well, I had a feeling you'd be upset, hehe..."

* * *

"You see, Kyo pulled a disappearing act about four months ago. He just got up and left. And you know where he went? To train on a mountain." Shigure started.

"What kind of training?" Tohru asked.

'Let me guess, he was on a mountain top meditating under waterfalls and fighting bears." Yuki said sarcastically. Shigure got a befuddled look on his face, scratching the side of his head.

"Well, I'm not so sure of that part." He got serous again. "The point is Kyo really wants to beat Yuki." He glanced at Yuki, and Yuki glanced away.

"Stupid cat." The flinched at those words, and I knew Shigure saw it.

I did the same thing Kyo did. I really wanted to beat Nezumi, but yet every time I would always get laughed at and have dirt in my face. No matter how hard I tried. So, I went to train. I went deep into the forest and living on my instincts. I came back about half a year later, and the same thing still happened.

* * *

**Woah, that was a little longer than expected o.o...haha...ha...sorry. I kinda got out of hand with this chapter. I'll try to keep it in range next time, unless you guys want longer chapters. let me know and I'll try to keep them the same length or make them shorter, alright? (: I hope you liked this chapter, and please inform me if you think any characters are OOC.  
**

**Derp Wale, signing off! *salute***


	4. Hurt and Questions

Okay, so, I've decided that I'm not going to let reviews run my life, but it would still be REALLY nice to get them (: It helps motivate me to make it to the next chapter and it makes me want to write more often. I want to thank **HanamiKaze** for adding me to her favorite stories and alerts list (: It means so much to me. I hope you like this chapter (:

* * *

**Chapter 4  
**

* * *

_Asuka's PoV_

This school is horrible! All of the guys were around my desk, crowding me. All I wanted to do was jump out the window, but that wouldn't be smart. A normal person couldn't land it without getting injured.

Kyo wasn't a normal person, though.

I saw him jump out the window. I wasn't fast enough to stop him, so by the time I was at the window he was already running. Probably to go sit on the roof.

The teacher told us to calm down, so i went back to my seat, and yet again; the boys followed me. I didn't want to set a bad impression on anyone so I was trying to be as friendly as I could.

"What's your name?"

"Asuka Nisemono (Ne-say-mo-no)." I quickly lied. Why would I tell them my last name?

"Are you new here?"

"To the area." I answered quickly again. My voice being naturally quiet made the guys have a need to lean in to hear me better. My hair started to stand up. I wasn't used to being so close to so many people.

"Their electric signals." My ear twitched as I heard a girl say something behind my crowd of boys. Somehow, I knew she was talking about me. "They're electric signals. Kyo's and the new girls. They're exactly the same as Yuki's. I don't know but there's something about them that's almost inhuman."

My hair now rose in fright. She couldn't know, could she? I started to freak out silently.

"Hey, are you okay?" One of the guys asked me. I didn't answer him, still frozen scared.

"Haha, Hana, that's just rude." A girl said, continuing the conversation. "Uh, hey. Question." She asked Yuki. "Is that Kyo guy your cousin?"

I could barely see Yuki through the throng of guys, but I could tell he turned around a bit.

"Yes, that seems to be the rumor. I'd like to keep it at that." He said coldly, then walked off.

"Hey, you doing something after school?"

"I have somewhere to go." I had my answers set up for anything, so I could speak before he was almost done with the question. I bent my head so it hid my eyes. I really wanted to take these contacts out, they were getting on my nerves.

"Oh, the shy type. I get it." One of the boys said, and I suddenly got chills. "I'll catch you later, sweet-cheeks." He patted my shoulder, and I flinched away from the touch. This was a horrible idea.

* * *

"Tohru, you're going to find Kyo, aren't you?" I asked Tohru as she started to leave class. I could feel it. She let out a surprised noise and turned around to see me.

"Yeah..." I nodded my head forward and we both started to walk together. I didn't want her to face Kyo's wrath alone. "I wonder what happened to him..." She questioned.

"He got stressed out." I murmured. I was feeling the same thing, except I don't change into a cat whenever someone hugs me. Tohru made an agreeing noise. "Maybe he'll be near the courtyard." I suggested, and we made our way there.

'You want out, fine. But as for me," We heard Kyo start. I wondered what Yuki had said to set him off. "I'm going to prove once and for all that I'm better than you. And then I'm going to take my place as a member of this family! I'm not going to be left out anymore!" Kyo started, and I knew this was deeper than Tohru should know about. I knew the same thing Kyo was going through, and it made my heart ache that he still thought that way.

"Tohru, I would get out of here if I were you." I murmured, slightly pushing her away.

"No! I want to help." She said, but not resisting me nudging her back. I looked up and saw something in her eyes. She wasn't just curious as to what was going on, she really cared, and that changed my mind a bit.

"Fine." Was all I said. She gave me a I made my way towards the arguing cousins. Kyo had grabbed Yuki's collar. "Do you hear me rat boy!" I wasn't at all expecting Tohru to leap forward at that moment.

"No! Tohru!" I exclaimed, trying to pull her back. We (me, Kyo, and Tohru) ended up in a big dog-pile on the ground. Unfortunately, Kyo transformed. It was silent for a bit.

"Sorry..." I said quietly.

"I saw what was going on and I had to stop it and I guess I just panicked! I'm sorry but fighting at school isn't a good idea. You'll get into trouble," rambling isn't going to help, Tohru... "and if they catch you on your first day-"

"Shut up! Who do you think you are! This is between me and him, it's got NOTHING to do with you two! You stupid little girls! From now on just stay the hell away from me!" He yelled to both of us. I froze.

Could I have really been that mean to people?

Tohru shrunk back, and I silently stood, up, almost on the brink of tears. Not JUST because of what he said, which kind of hurt, but because I couldn't believe I would have done something like that.

"Okay, that was maximum rage." Tohru said to herself walking away. "That's all there is to it, he really hates me." I could see Kyo looking guilty. He then looked at me, but my bangs were covering my eyes. I knew they were getting watery and I wouldn't want Yuki or Kyo to see that.

"So-sorry." I chocked on my tears and sharply turned away, wanting to get to the nearest bathroom. This was the worst way to start of a horrible year to school.

* * *

_No One's PoV _

Shigure was sitting at the table, calmly reading a newspaper and Kyo was laying on the porch, resting his head on his arm.

"So, you're home." Shigure stated calmly, flipping the page. "Had enough school for one day, huh?"

"I don't want to live in this house anymore." Kyo said sadly.

"If you can train on a mountain for four moths, I think you can endure more than three days here." He said, circling something on the paper.

"I said such terrible things to them. Terrible." He was staring off into their front year, never really looking at anything.

"By 'them', I assume Asuka and Tohru?" He looked up and propped his head on his elbow. "well, let me guess. You lost your temper and yelled at them again, right?" He waved a finger in the air. "You know, you shouldn't do that if you're just going to regret it. Not to bright now is it?"

"Save your breath, I'm just not meant to get along with other people. Period. End of Story." He stated, sounding resigned to the fact that he can't have any friends.

"Oh, sure. Some people just don't. But you're not one of them. You lack experience, that's all." He flipped another page. "For example, I'm sure you could smash this table to bits with your bare hands, but I'm equally sure you could punch the table without breaking it. And why is that? Because I know your training has taught you to control your fists. At least after four months of fighting bears-"

"I didn't fight bears!" Kyo exclaimed, an anger vein appearing on his head.

"My _point _is that it takes just as much training to get along with people. Like Asuka. She exploded on me twice sense I met her, and already she seems to at least be getting a little better. It just takes time."

Kyo got a shocked look in his eyes as he focused on Shigure. "But she's so calm."

"That's what I thought too. But training by yourself in the mountains wont do you any good. You need to surround yourself with others. So you get to know them. Of course, you take the chance you'll end up hurting them, or they'll end up hurting you. On of those things might very well happen. That's the only way we learn. About others, and about ourselves."

Kyo flipped onto his back.

"You're a black-belt in martial arts, but you still got a white-belt in social skills. To put that on a scale, you have white, Asuka probably has a yellow, Yuki has a blue, Tohru has an brown, and I, being my amazing self, have a black!"

"Keep dreaming!"

"Anyway, someday you're going to meet someone who truly wants to be your friend and you, theirs. And if you don't keep training, you wont be ready when that happens.

"It'll never happen, anyway." Kyo said, annoyance in his voice.

"Ah ah! Never say never!"

"Okay, fine, maybe if I meet somebody with brain damage...or something." He surrendered a bit.

"That's the spirit."

* * *

_Kyo's PoV _

That damn rat slid the door open that led to Shigure's study, saying that he was home. I slid back a bit so I wasn't as noticeable.

"Oh, where's Tohru?" The perverted dog asked.

"She had to go to work, but she'll be done by eleven." The rat walked away, But I heard Asuka stay.

"Um, Shigure?"

"Yes, Asuka?"

"What am I going to do about gym classes?" She asked, sitting down gingerly, at least that's what it seemed, on the seat across from Shigure's.

"What about them? You look fine." I heard her sigh. I could only see part of her leg from where I was at.

"You're not making this easy."

"Making what easy?" Shigure asked in a sweet voice, which I knew was crap.

"Cut the crap, Shigure!" She was on the brink of yelling now, like she had snapped or something. "I know you know." Know what? Shigure sighed. Then he gave a nervous laugh.

"You caught me. I'll call in and say that you have a lung problem of some sort." Asuka sighed in relief. "Was that all?" I saw her hair move, like she shook her head or something.

"If someone calls with the name of Ryu or Kouta, hang up."

"Wh-"

"Just do it!" She semi-yelled, then took a deep breath. "That's it."

"Alright, Asuka. How was your first day of school?" He asked. I saw Asuka stand up and make her way to the door, sliding it open.

"Terrible." The door shut, and that was that. I knew that part of the comment was angled towards me.

It was silent for a bit as I though about what I had just heard.

"You know, Kyo, it's not polite to eavesdrop." Shigure stated with a yawn. My hair stood on end and I quietly slid away from the door. making my way to the roof.

* * *

**So, I know this one was kind of short, but I had to make up for the last chapter ^.^ I hope you like this one, and trust me, were going to go way more in-depth with Asuka's character soon (: I have it allll planned out ;) See you next time? (:**

**Derp Wale, signing off! *salute*  
**


	5. Leaving

Yay! I got 6 reviews :3. Thank you all who did those, and I want to thank one person (I don't know their username 'cause they're a guest) who showed me my mistakes. And this is for you (you know who you are)- "Thank you, so much. There were a lot of things I didn't realize, and trust me, now that you pointed them out I will try to fix most of them. and sorry ^.^...some of the things are just part of the story, so I wont be able to change those. Please, I know this isn't the best fanfic, it may not even be a good one, but i promise I will do all of my power to try and fix the kinks out of my story."

I am still going to give shout-outs to those who deserve it (: likkkeeeee: snowy12345679, storygirl99210 (again :3), CrimsonMutilation, Guest1, Guest2 (kayla [:), and Guest 3 for reviewing. I love you all so much and I hope you stay tuned (:.

Thank you CrimsonMutilation for adding this story to favorite's list (: And thank you BlueAurora and storygirl99210 for adding me to your story slerts list (: You have some of my heart with you at all times. AND Kayla for saying she would add me to her favs if she had an account (:

OH! And this one goes out to storygirl99210 (my, you're on top of everything aren't you?) for adding me to her alerts list for her authors! She's the first one :3.

And for all of you who have to read this horrendously short and very chopy chapter, may any devine being bless you with good fortune for the rest of your life. I would like to kind of add more to this chapter, but I feel like elongating it would make it really awkward.

I hope you all survive this chapter-if you can even call it that. (:

* * *

**Chapter 5 **

* * *

_No One's PoV_

Asuka walked up to the room Tohru and her shared and to the little vanity mirror. Sighing, she scratched the sides of her head, separating her hair and freeing her snow-white, fuzzy ears, letting out a sigh of relief. She swore they were going to get damaged if she kept them covered up all of the time. She let her snow-white, fluffy tail escape the skirt, making it hike up a bit. It was always a pain trying to sit when it was always tucked it. She started to stretch out like a cat, her arms reaching forward, her mouth stretching wide to show of my tiny but sharp fangs.

It felt so nice to do this. She could never do it because Tohru felt the need to talk to Asuka whenever she saw her and she could never get out of sweet Tohru's grasp

"So, I guessed right." Asuka instantly shot up, her tail frizzing out and her hair standing up. She spun around to see Shigure standing in the door way. "You are the cat in the Noroi family." She was frozen, staring at Shigure. This was NOT how she wanted him to find out. Shigure stepped into the room, and Asuka took a few paces back, her eyes nervously twitching towards the windows. "Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything." He held up his hands.

"Please," She started, and shake in her voice, her hands clenching, her bangs covering her eyes. "Don't...don't tell anyone...not yet."

"Oh, I had no intention to. It's your secret to hold or tell." Asuka looked up at him suddenly.

"But...but, I'm weird!" She yelled, tears threatening to spill over. "Just kick me out. End it now. Whatever..." she turned her head. Shigure let out a laugh.

"And we _aren't_?" He laughed again, and Asuka started to shake. She could feel the tears coming. Part of her knew that this wasn't normal. But the other part of her, a part she never knew, actually accepted it now; happy to find someone else like her, finding someone who wouldn't shun her for what or who she is. Shigure made her feel that way, with a simple three words.

She got the sudden sense, that she was home.

A feeling she had never had be for.

"Thank you." Shigure partially stumbled backwards from the impact Asuka made with him, hugging him. He could feel tears soaking into his robe as she shook, crying her eyes out.

"Shigure, what did you do to-" Yuki said, walking past the room. His eyes widened in shock when he saw a white tail appear from Shigure's side. "What's going on?" He asked, stepping into the room.

"I'll explain it later." Asuka was still buried into Shigure. Yuki looked into his eyes, ready to stop him if he had that perverted glint. But what he saw surprised him. Shigure had almost a...fatherly look in his eyes as he shushed Asuka, petting her hair. Yuki was still baffled by the thought that Asuka had..cat ears and a tail with it. He had the strange urge to...run? Why would he feel that?

Asuka pulled back, wiping her face with her hand. "Oh...hi Yuki." She said, still a shake in her voice from the crying. Yuki nodded to her.

"Well, Asuka, I'm pretty sure you need time to calm down. If you want you can save us from Yuki's cooking later if you want." Asuka nodded, and Shigure backed up. "Let's go Yuki." He patted Yuki on the shoulder, and they both left the room, leaving Asuka to think about everything that just happened.

* * *

_Kyo's PoV _

I know I needed to apologize to Asuka and Tohru. I just...didn't know how! Why are girls so difficult? I sighed in frustration, jumping down from the roof. I might as well just wing it. I heard someone in the kitchen and walking in I saw that it was Asuka, but something made me freeze.

Why were there _ears _and a _tail_ on her? One of the ears twitched and Asuka turned around. She blushed then looking at the ground, shuffeling her feet a bit.

"Oh...um...hi, Kyo." She stated softly.

"Wh...what..." I stuttered, realizing I looked like an idiot. She got a sad look in her eyes and I instantly regretted saying what I did. She reached up and rubbed her ears.

"These?" She looked at me in the eyes, and I momentarily lost my thought process under the ever-changing color. I swallowed, nodding my head. "They're...um...cat ears." She said nervously.

_I understand..._

The words flashed into my head before I could stop them, and my eyes widened in shock.

"Why?" I finally got out of my mouth.

_Because I'm just like you..._

"Because I'm just like you, Kyo." She stated sadly, her head bowing. My anger instantly roared.

"No! That's not possible! I'm all alone, and no one can change that!" I yelled, running out of the kitchen.

* * *

_Asuka's PoV _

I shut down. My emotions as dry as a river. The one person, who I wanted to understand me...but I guess I could understand why he didn't.

"Asuka~ what was all that yelling?" I didn't even turn around. I kept my back to him and continued to make dinner because Tohru wasn't home. Truth be told, I wasn't that good of a cook, but Shigure said anything was better than Yuki's. This led me to ask him about his, and he just got a grave look in his eyes, asking me not to talk about it. "Ah. Was it Kyo?" I didn't acknowlage him. Right now I just needed to close myself in, repair the damage before someone could make it worse. Subconciously, I rubbed one of my ears. Then I realized they were out, which I haven't done ever before. Why did I let them out in the first place? I ruffled my hair back into spot so it covered my ears. I would have to change because I was wearing one of Tohru's skirts.

"Are you okay, Asuka?" My temper falired.

"What do you think? Do you _think_ I'm okay when someone straight-up who I thought would understand blows me off like that! ? Do you _think_ I'm okay that after so many years of hiding, I built up the courage to be myself and I get _rejected_! ? Because I _don't_ think I'm okay, Shigure. And I don't think I ever will be. I'm just...not meant to get along with people." I stated sadly, realizing that even though what I said was harsh, I was glad I could admit it to myself. I turned the burner off and started to walk out of the kitchen.

"The soup's ready. If you want to reheat it do it on medium." I left without another word.

Then the awkward moment happened when I ran into Kyo who was standing outside the door.

"Asu-"

"Save it, Kyo." I said sharply, and he seemed taken aback. "I'm not in the mood for it." I roughtly pushed past him and to Tohru's room.

I didn't know what I was going to do, but I had to get away from this family, at least for a little bit. It would be to much to handle if I stayed there after today. Changing into my original outfit of a white dress and cloak, not bothering to wear shoes, I opened the window and stole off into the forest, making my way back to where I spent the former half of my life.

* * *

**Yeah, horrible. But, I wanted to put something out there for you guys because I haven't updated in a while and I felt like you guys deserved at least SOMETHING. Trust me, this is not how the rest of the chapters are going to be.**

**A little upsate, too. I'm on vacation, also, so I might not be able to update as often. I also just bought Dragon Age 2 and I plan on finishing that, so that might get in the way ^.^. Anyway, please stay tuned because wether it be one day or one week, I WILL UPDATE!**

**Please give me feedback on how my story is doing. It's greatly appriciated and I love you all for it, wether it be praise or critisism on my horrible spelling.**

**Oh yeah, my sister's laptop doesn't seem to have spell-check, so pardon me if you can't read half of my story. Blame me and my writing teacher in first grade. (:**

**Derp Wale, signing off! *salute***


	6. Misunderstanding and Found

**Hello everyone! So sorry I was gone for a few days. I was aplanning a LOT of stuff. Probably the most important thing is that this is now a colabortaion between me and HLK21 (: and if you want to see the characters, just visit her Deviant Art which is "hlk21". Another important thing! Anything I said about her family excluding her last name and the name of the family, forget it. I should have planned this story out better, but it is not a part of it anymore. I'll go back and revise those chapters for you if you want to take another look.**

**Annnndddd, that's about it (: This chapter is a little long and I know I hit with you with a lot of characters, but you'll get to know them in time ;)**

**If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me :D I don't know if this chapter is a little patchy, so PLEASE give me feedback! :D**

* * *

**Chapter 6**

* * *

_No One's PoV_

"Ryuu, do you ever miss Asuka and Rika?" A young girl with pink curls asked as she stuck another bite of chocolate cake into her mouth. Ryuu, the man sitting across from the girl, was surprised by this question.

"What?"

"I do. I wonder when they'll come home. How long has it been?" She asked with her mouth full, making her words almost incoherent. A little piece of cake dropped from her lip and onto her red salmon colored sweater. Ryuu thought for a bit, then shook his head, his dark green hair shifting a bit.

"Too long, Airi…" He looked out the window and into the giant front yard where Taena and Takka were hanging out under a tree. They were completely opposites, yet seem to fit perfectly. The pre-teens: Seirei, Hokoru, Atae, and Tsuru were playing a game of tag, and like usual were split up into the two teams, Hokoru against the other three. He never asked how they played. Nesshina and Shikosu were walking in circles around the koi pond, chatting casually. Bayo was sitting with the toddler, Remi, watching at birds fluttered in the trees. The family was so big, yet there always seemed to be something missing ever sense the two left. "Too long."

* * *

_Someone's PoV_

"And stay out, good for nuthin' kid!" The taxi driver had yelled at me before shoving me from the back seat of the cab, slamming the door shut tight, and driving away. The old, yellow cab sped off, leaving a big cloud of dust behind that threw me into a big sneezing fit.

"I can sue for that, you know!" I called after the cab, even though it was long gone from my sight.

I sighed as I picked myself up and off of the dirt, brushing some mud and grass from my arms and pants. My eyes scanned the area around me. I saw I was in the woods, or a type of wood, just without many trees.

I stood up, only to have a sharp pain emerge from my side. I yelped and reached inside my pocket, taking out the knife that stabbed my side. I really should be more careful with that. Blood dripped from it slowly. Making sure no one was around; I licked the blood from the knife and quickly put it back in my pocket. I reached inside my other pocket for my wallet, but my hand clasped empty space..

"What the…?" My eyes widened as it dawned upon me that I had left my wallet on the back seat of the taxi cab. I face-palmed at how much of an idiot move that was. "Fuuu-! My wallet had all of my stuff in it! I'm screwed!" My wallet had my money, my I.D., my credit card, and my hotel room key and number, my life-

"A map of the city too," I said to myself, sighing. I had only just gotten here form a few towns over. Finally, after panicking for a bit, I came to a reasonable conclusion: "I'm not getting anywhere by standing here. Let's see if I can find a place to stay."

I started to walk on the side of the road, a car passing every so often. I argued with myself if I should sleep in a tree or not, knowing any sane person would not let a random girl sleep in their house. Plus, it was the only relatively safe place for me to sleep until the morning.

_'What if some crazy weirdo finds you?'_

_'What if you fall and an animal eats you?'_

'What if a bear rips your arm off?'

'What if TEANA rips your arm off?'

_'What if-'  
_  
I had that weird moment where I won yet lost at the same time. I started to run down the side of the dirt road, getting impatient, and deciding to take my chances with staying with a mental person then getting my arm ripped of by my angry cousin.

After a while of walking and stopping to catch my breath, I saw some lights up the side of a hill. I stopped walking and stared at it.

"A house?" My mind started to argue with me again.

_'Rika, don't even think about it! A murderer could live there, but he would look like a normal business man, so you would think he was safe, but we he invites you in and he goes to serve you tea, he goes to sharpen his knives! And then-'_

_"Shut up, I'm going to the house."_

_'But Rika…'_

_"Sleep in a tree, or go to the house?"_

_'…'_

I win. And lose.

As I made my way up to the hill, the house began to look friendlier and it had a Japanese old-style kind of vibe to it. I saw a man sitting on the porch, maybe in his early thirties or late twenties. He looked like he was looking for someone. When he spotted me, his face immediately cheered up and he stood, waving at me like I was an old friend.

"Why, Asuka," he said, cheerfully. "I see you've come home! I thought you would be gone all night! I heard you and Kyo got in a fight again."

_'Who the frick is Asuka? It kind of sounds familiar, but that could be just a coincidence.'_

I had no idea, but I was going to play along if it meant food and shelter. I was a pretty good actress, if I do say so myself.

I shrugged my shoulders, walking onto the porch. The man had short, black hair and brown eyes. He wore a green robe that didn't complement him at all. He looked down at me, staring at my clothes like they were poisonous.

"I see you've changed clothes…" I nodded as the man rubbed the back of his head, confused. "Tohru doesn't have clothes like that. And…did you actually do something with your hair?" He stared at my eyes for a moment. "And why are you wearing the contacts I got you when your not even going to school?"

It took me a minute to process everything before answering.

"Tohru gave me some money to buy clothes that I liked better than her clothes. I put my hair like this because it was bothering me being in my face all of the time. And I was going to be walking on the street." I gave him a slight glare. "What are you, red-riding hood?"

The man stared at me for a moment, and then smiled.

"I guess that makes sense. Tohru's clothes were always too big on you. The hair and contacts I don't understand. Your hair and eyes were much more beautiful before…"

He was insulting my hair and eyes. That bastard… I sighed quietly and forced a small smile.

"Yeah…"

"Shigure, are you talking to someone?" I heard another guy say in the background, footsteps following it. A guy around my age appeared in the doorway, standing a little bit shorter than the man I was talking to. He had smooth, gray hair and purple eyes and had almost a princely look to him. He also looked pretty girly…

"Ah, Asuka! You've returned. I'm sure Kyo needs to apologize to you." The man also stared at me for a moment, thinking. "You look different…"

"Yeah, yeah. I've changed how I look because I felt like it, okay princey?"

Shigure and the other man stared at me in shock as I walked into the house, not bothering to take off my shoes. I sat on the couch, sitting upside down so that my legs hung over the back of the seat.

"A-Asuka, please take off your shoes!" Shigure called after me, walking into the house. The other man followed him. I kicked them off roughly and one of them almost hit Shigure on the side of the head.

"Shigure," a girly voice called from the kitchen. "Is Asuka back? I've made dinner for everyone." I guessed it was Tohru who was in the kitchen. "Could you get Yuki and Kyo before dinner gets cold?" A tall girl walked from the kitchen with plates of food in her hands. She had long, straight brown hair that went down to the middle of her back. She had big, dark blue eyes and a small smile on her face. She set the plates on a small table on the floor and went back into the kitchen to get more food, not seeing me.

The smell of delicious food filled my nose and my mouth started to water. I didn't even need to look at the food to tell what it was. Barbeque pulled pork and mashed potatoes.

I wanted to rush over to the food and eat it all, but no. There were more people here, and they deserved to eat as well.

_'When did you ever start caring about other people?'_

I chuckled slightly. I never cared about other people's feelings when it came to anything, but what if this Asuka person did? I wouldn't want to blow my cover the first five minutes I was here! So that means no being mean, no cussing, no showing my ears or tail, and no acting like myself would. I sighed, but quickly smiled.

This was going to be fun; really fun...

...That was until there was a knock at the door.

* * *

_Asuka's PoV_

It shouldn't be that hard to walk in there, right? I mean, all I did was over react to something so small, yell a few mean words that probably hurt someone that actually liked her-

I sighed. This was the hardest thing ever. I gathered myself and knocked on the door, automatically tensing at the reaction I was going to get. My eyes shut unconsciously as the door opened and i heard a very confused Shigure say my name.

"Ye-yeah. Hi, Shigure." I slowly opened my eyes, and say the look of completely bewilderment. He looked at somewhere in the house, then back to me, then back into the house, muttering words that were to quick and mumbled together for me to decipher. "Are you okay?" I asked him.

"Uh, um, yes...Asuka?" He said to me. All of his confusion made me curious as to what was in the house and I leaned in, and what I saw made my heart stop.

Was it possible? Could it really be...Is it...

"Rika?" I asked, and a girls head popped up from the top of the couch in between her legs which were covered in neon blue knee-high socks, her favorite color. Those blue eyes brought back so many childhood memories.

"Yeah?" She said, then a look of horror washed over her face. "Oh, shit. You're Asuka?" She remembered!

"Oh, Rika! I haven't seen you in forever!" I ran over to her, pulling her into a tight bear-hug.

"G-get off of me!" She roughly pushed me off, and my eyes widened in shock.

"Rika? Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm absolutely fine! And how do you know my name, anyway?" She gave me a hard stare, and something in my heart broke.

"You...you don't remember me?" I asked quietly.

"Remember you? I have never even met you."

I gave her a sad look. "Rika and Asuka, the Bad-ass Twins?" If that didn't spark her memory, nothing would.

And what do ya' know?

"A...Asuka? Is...is that you?" I just nodded my head, filled to the brink with emotions. "Asuka!" Now it was her turn to pull me into a bear hug. "How long has it been? How have you been doing? Have you been eating well? Do you live in this house? Do you-"

"Shh. I'm fine Rika." I silenced her, and she smiled at me. Then I heard an awkward cough from the side of the room. Looking over, i saw Shigure, Yuki, and Tohru standing there. "Oh, um, this is awkward. Guys? This is Rika, my sister. We...we got separated when we were young." It was silent for a bit.

"No wonder why you two look so similar!" Shigure sang. I bet he was just happy to have another high school girl in the house. "I'm-"

"Shigure. Yeah, I heard Princy say your name. And the girl with the brown hair is Tohru." Rika interrupted, her usual self.

"Oh, it's so nice to meet you! And I'm so happy you and your sister are finally together!" She stated enthusiastically, and I sweat-dropped.

"'Princy' is Yuki Sohma. Shigure is his cousin, and K-Kyo is his other cousin. Tohru is living with them, like myself, because of some, unique circumstances." I finished. I tripped on Kyo's name. I still didn't know what I was going to do about him. I saw that Shigure noticed me trip, too.

"Speaking of Kyo, I wonder where he ran off to." He looked upwards at the roof.

"Probably went to go sulk after being such an idiot." Yuki stated. "Tohru, do you need some help setting up the dinner plates?"

"Oh, yes, that would be great! Are we having an extra guest?" She looked at me, the Rika, then Shigure. I gave him a pleading look. He made it seem like he had to think about it, but I knew he already had his answer.

"I guess. The more, the merrier, I suppose!~"

I looked over at Rika, who was giving the whole family apprehensive looks. And for the first time in what seemed like forever, I smiled. I almost didn't know how.

* * *

**So, did I introduce Rika well? Please tell me! I really think we're going somewhere good with this story (: And remember, if you want to see what the characters look like, visit "hlk21"'s profile! She had a few of them because we're not COMPLETELY finished with the designs (:  
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**Derp Wale, signing off! *salute*  
**


	7. Introductions

**Ohkay everyone! Here is chapter...7? I think... Anyway! Please, people, review ;) It really makes me happy! And let me know how we're writing, to see if we need to improve anything or not :D I hope you like this chapter, and don't worry, we'll be getting to the good stuff soon ;)  
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**Chapter 7**_  
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_Rika's PoV_

We all sat around the dinner table, spread out. Yuki sat by Shigure, Shigure sat to my right, Asuka was to my left, and Tohru to her left. Asuka and I piled as much food as we could onto our plates and started eating immediately. I hadn't had good food for a week now, so this food was like heaven on a fork.

Shigure cleared his throat before speaking, "So, um, Rika. How did you come to find my house anyways?"

"Oh, I was supposed to meet with my friends at a hotel somewhere in this town, but the taxi driver was a total douche and kicked me out of the cab. So I just wandered around until I stumbled upon your humble abroad." Tohru gasped and got wide eyed.

"You aren't hurt, are you?" She asked. I shook my head, thinking about my knife.

"Nah, I'm fine. I just lost my wallet that had everything I needed in it."

"Well, I'm sure you'll be fine without it," Yuki said coldly, staring at his food. "We can get you more things if needed."

I looked at him, trying my hardest not to glare. There was something suspicious about this guy.

"Well, do you have anywhere to go, Rika?" Shigure asked.

"Nope. Like I said, I lost everything I needed." A small smile crept onto Shigure's face.

"I guess you'll be staying with us for a while."

"What shall we do with her about school," Yuki asked, moving his food around with his fork.

"Ah, I guess you're right…We could have her go to the same school with all of you…" Tohru clasped her hands together excitedly.

"Really? That would be great! We could have the teacher assign her in our class as well!"

"Great! She'd just have to take an entrance test…" Everyone was thinking different things at the time, I could tell. I almost laughed at that. Me? Take a test? Ha! I would rather go through Hell then take an entrance exam.

"So since we've got that figured out, why don't you tell us about yourself or your past," Tohru said, smiling. I nodded and put my fork down onto the plate.

"Well, you already know a lot you need to know about me, so I'll just say the basics. I like fighting, singing, dancing, and…sleeping. My past isn't really that clear, but I guess I can tell what I remember. I lived in an apartment a few towns over, but the person that ran it was a jerk face and he kicked me out, so my friends had invited me to stay with them at a hotel for a while… but that didn't work out so well…Ha, I guess my life the past few months weren't that great."

"It seems like a lot of people like to kick you out of places." Asuka said quietly, shoving a fork-full on food into her mouth. I smiled, know it was the best humor Asuka was going to give me right now.

"What can I say? I'm a kickable person." I said cockily like it was a good thing.

"Well, don't worry. We don't mind you staying here for a while." Shigure said nicely, but I could tell he was planning something. There was an evil look in his eyes… That or a perverted look. I really couldn't tell the difference.

* * *

_Asuka's PoV _

"So, how did you lose your memory, anyway, Rika?" Shigure started another conversation, and I sweat-dropped.

"That's a stupid question, Shigure. Obviously if she lost her memory she wouldn't remember how."

"And she doesn't have to if she doesn't want too!" Tohru interjected and I was debating with myself in my head whether I should say something.

"Oh, it's fine! I would tell you if I knew, but I don't." She quickly raised her hands and waved them in front of her face. I kept my mouth shut. I would tell Rika later, not in front of everyone. Plus, I didn't want everyone to see me cry again. Then I remembered that Tohru didn't know about our little secret, and my eyes widened.

"Uh, Tohru, can you come with me?" I said quietly, getting up from the table to put my dish into the sink. Shigure and Yuki usually took care of cleaning up after dinner because Tohru would cook.

"Sure, Asuka!" She said excitedly, picking up her plate and following me into the kitchen.

* * *

_Rika's PoV_

After we had dinner, Tohru had went upstairs to go do homework after leaving the kitchen with a very happy face and Asuka following her with an apprehensive one, like she doubted something. Shigure had gone into his office to work on something. I think he said something about a book? Blah, whatever, I didn't care.

The three of us that were left sat on the small couch, mashed together. That would be Asuka, me, and Princey, all smashed together on the tiny seating thing that barely passed as a couch. Worst part was I was in between both of them. Not one of them said anything, nor did I. We just exchanged nervous glances, Princey not looking me in the eyes.

"Ah, screw you guys," I said, jumping off of the couch and laying down on the floor, being cautious of the knife in my pocket. I didn't want it to stab me again. I curled up beside Asuka's feet like a cat would. "You're boring, a stick in the mud, blah."

Asuka and Yuki stared at me, confused. I turned my head away from them, a childish glare stayed on my face. I stared out the window for a while, watching lightning bugs and stars. I then turned my focus to Asuka who had been staring at me the whole time. "Hey, what about these people you're staying with? Do they know about…you know what?"

"If you mean our little 'problem', then yes, they know," she said, rubbing the back of her head. I could see a blush creep on her face and her eyes sadden. Something about it made me want to punch whoever made her sad in the face. I pointed to her head, confusion written on my face.

"No ears?" I asked, confused. She chuckled slightly before answering.

"I don't like showing them that much." There was something else behind those words, I could tell, "You can though. I'm sure everyone doesn't mind. Right, Yuki?" Yuki nodded, staying quiet the whole time. Something suspicious was going on.

"Okay," I said, cautiously removing the ring from my left hand pointer finger. As soon as I did, white fox ears popped up from the top of my head and a white fox tail appeared from nowhere, wagging back and forth like a dog's tail, only slower.

It was an ancient magic my family had used before my time. It sealed my animal features away, but only if this ring stayed on my finger. Of course, you couldn't keep the ring on all of the time, only in public, or you'd be stuck that way forever.

I carefully put the ring in my pocket, making sure I didn't touch the knife. I really needed to keep that thing somewhere else. I spread out on the floor, sitting on my stomach. I put my legs up, bending at the knee, and started to kick them back and forth.

"Wow, Rika, I had almost forgotten what the fox had looked like," Asuka said, smiling so small that you'd have to be paying good attention to notice.

"Well, it's been forever, Asuka. I wouldn't have been surprised if you had forgotten me at all." We both smiled softly, just glad to be together again.

I looked over at Yuki. He had a small red tint across his cheeks, clearly visible due to his pale skin. I stared at him with a bored expression. I noticed his cheeks go redder and darker every second I stared at him. I let out a soft chuckle.

"What's your problem, Princey?" I asked him. He cheeks only got redder.

"Ah, nothing," he said quickly. I caught on to what he was trying to pull.

"Okay, I see. You might want to talk to Shigure about whatever your problem is. You've got serious issues." Yuki stood up, cleared his throat, and left the room to go upstairs. I laughed. "I like that guy! He's fun to mess with!" Asuka sighed and shook her head, only making me laugh more.

Suddenly, there was a loud thud, incoherent yelling, and a blur of orange fell down the stairs at lightning speed, crashing into the wall. I quickly reached in my pocket and pulled out the knife and Asuka flinched slightly and I saw something underneath her hair twitch. One of her ears. Asuka stared at it at the knife in my hand after she recovered a bit.

"Why do you have a knife?"

"Because," I said, standing up and sitting on the couch. I reached in my pocket again and pulled out my ring, slipping it back on my finger making my ears and tail disappear. "I needed to protect myself."

"...I guess that makes sense...I learned how to street fight." I was about to ask her how when someone interrupted me.

"Damn rat!" A male voice called from the bottom of the stairs. Emerging from the dust and rubble, a guy maybe around my age stood there, yelling up the staircase. He had orange hair and wore a loose, black shirt and gray jeans. "I didn't even do anything! What's your problem?"

"You still haven't apologized, have you?" Yuki said in a bored tone.

"That's none of your damn business!" The guy stormed into the living room with the angriest look on his face, but froze when he saw us, his expression changing from anger to shock. "What…the?"

"Who's he?" I asked, staring at the guy. "Is that Kyo or something?"

"Yeah..." Asuka said quietly, looking at the ground in an awkward manner. I nodded and stood up, making my way over to him. I held out my hand and smiled.

"My name's Rika. I'm Asuka's twin sister. So you're Kyo?" Kyo slowly nodded, taking my hand in his and shaking it. I felt a weird vibe coming from him and Asuka, but tried to ignore it.

"I'm…not processing this very well." He said, letting go of my hand. "Uh...Asuka?" Her head shot up, then went down again, a blush on her face.

"Yeah?"

'I...What...I mean..." Kyo stuttered.

"Spit it out!" I said, annoyance in my voice.

"Nevermind!" He yelled and rushed out the front door, and Asuka sighed.

"What's wrong with him?"

"I don't know. He's been acting weird ever since I got here. But you can't rush him with things like that." It sounded like her voice had disappointment in it.

"You know, I felt weird when I was around him. What'd he do to you?"

"Ah, we got in a little fight. It's nothing big." Asuka waved her hand, pushing the question aside. I twirled the knife around in my fingers.

"Want me to cut his head off?" I asked with an evil grin.

"No!" Asuka yelled, widening her eyes. I laughed, but I felt something weird change in the air. Then it hit me. The way the atmosphere changed when he walked in the room, Asuka's reaction to my question… It didn't make sense though…

"You like that guy, don't you?"

* * *

**OooOooOOOoooo! Cliff hanger! Haha, though I bet half of you already know what is going to happen x) I hope to see you next chapter!**

**Derp Wale, signing off! *salute*  
**


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